OSHA Inspection: GREAT LAKES POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES LLC

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $11,162 · Current $11,162

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): The employer did not ensure that all places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition:  At the employer's manufacturing facility, employee(s) were exposed to slip, trip, and fall hazards when places of employment, passageways, storerooms, and walking-working surfaces were not kept in a clean and orderly condition in the following circumstances:  1) At the CAB Area in and around the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine near Tipper #1, large amounts of plastic particulates were laying on the floor and in the walkways.  2) In the CAB Area on the upper-level walkway, the walkways and floors contained plastic pieces, and other items, including, but not limited to pieces of metal and a hose.  3) At the CAB Area, a 55-gallon drum of industrial hydraulic fluid was found leaking from the top through the bunghole onto the floor.  4) In the Recycling Area, the floor contained plastic particulates.  5) In the Oil Storage Area, an oil absorbent was on the floor and had not been swept up from the floor.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i): The employer did not conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirement of this standard were being followed:   In the CAB area, employee(s) engaged in servicing and maintenance activities on the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine, were exposed to amputation, caught in, and lacerations hazards in that the employer did not perform periodic inspections of the existing procedures for machines with dual sources of energy to ensure the procedures were adequate.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A): Authorized employee(s) did not receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation:  In the CAB Area, employee(s) engaged in servicing and/or maintenance activities on the Compression Auto Bagger machine were exposed to amputation, caught in, and laceration hazards in that employee(s) were not provided with authorized employee training as it relates to hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, nor the methods and means for energy isolation before engaging in those work operations.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(B): Affected employees were not instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure:  In the CAB Area and the Extrusion Area, employee(s) working in the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) area and at the #2 Godet extrusion machine at Line 11 were exposed to amputation, caught in, and laceration hazards in that affected employee(s) were not provided with any training as it relates to the purpose and use of the energy control procedures.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(d)(4): A lockout device was not attached to all power sources:   In the CAB Area, on the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine, employee(s) engaged in servicing and/or maintenance activities were exposed to amputation, struck by, caught in, and lacerations hazards in that a lock was not placed on the machine, prior to a clog on the machine being cleared/cleaned.    This was most recently observed when employees were clearing a jam on August 4, 2022.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(2)(i): All exposed part(s) of horizontal shafting seven (7) feet or less from floor or working platform were not protected by stationary casing(s) enclosing shafting completely or by trough(s) enclosing sides and top or sides and bottom of shafting:   In the CAB Area, employee(s) engaged in plastic manufacturing and production activities at the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine were exposed to amputation and caught-in hazards in that the horizontal rotating shafts for the agitation bar on the outside of Tipper #1 and Tipper #2 near the drive motors were not guarded.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $15,625 · Current $15,625

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(c)(4)(i): Unguarded projecting shaft end(s) did not present a smooth edge and end and projected more than one half the diameter of the shaft:  In the CAB Area, employee(s) engaged in plastic manufacturing production activities on the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine were exposed to amputation and caught in hazards in that a one-inch diameter drive shaft end, projected one inch without any type of machine guarding on Tipper #1 and Tipper #2.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $156,259 · Current $156,259

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures were not developed, documented, and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees were engaged in activities covered by this section:  In the CAB Area, employee(s) engaged in servicing and maintenance activities on the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine at Tippers #1-3 were exposed to electrical, struck-by, amputation, and caught-between hazards in that procedures for the control of potentially hazardous energy were not utilized when employees unjammed the CAB machine.  On August 4, 2022, an employee was fatally injured while working on the CAB machine and attempting to unjam a clog in the chute connected to Tipper #1 without utilizing procedures for the control of potentially hazardous energy.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding was not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks:   In the CAB Area, the rotating agitator on the Compression Auto Bagger (CAB) machine at Tipper #1 was guarded by a metal grate.  The metal guard was connected to an interlock switch designed to shut the machine off when the grate was opened.  On August 4, 2022, an employee was fatally injured when he opened the metal grate and the machine failed to shut off.  The employee became entangled in the rotating agitator and died.  The machine failed to shut off because the interlock was bypassed with duct tape so that when the guard was opened the agitator continued to rotate.  As a result of the bypassed interlock, employees, including the decedent, were exposed to struck-by, amputation, and caught-between hazards from the unguarded rotating agitator on Tipper #1 when the grate was opened.

Issued

Jan 23, 2023

Abate by

Jun 1, 2026

Penalty

Initial $31,250 · Current $31,250

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1): One or more methods of machine guarding was not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks:  In the Extrusion Area, employee(s) engaged in production activities at the #2 Godet of the Line 11 extrusion machine were exposed to amputation and caught in hazards in that the protruding rollers for the machine were not guarded.  Great Lakes Polymer Technologies LLC was previously cited for a violation of this occupational safety and health standard or its equivalent standard, 1910.212(a)(1), which was contained in OSHA inspection number 1368959, citation number 1, item number 3, and was affirmed as a final order on 04-08-2019, with respect to a workplace located at 100 Fabpro Way Kingman, KS 67068.